1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to fuel cells. More particularly, the present invention relates to structures for supporting and accessing fuel cell stacks.
2. Background Information
The development of fuel cell technology has taken on increased significance in recent years. However, while research and development into the fuel cells themselves has increased, there has been no corresponding focus on how to support and access the fuel cells, which are generally grouped into "stacks".
Typically, separate services, for example, conduits, are used to supply reactants (e.g., fuel) to and remove byproducts (e.g., water) from the fuel cell stacks. In addition, fuel cell stacks are not generally arranged in any coherent manner, merely being placed on a surface in the vicinity of the other fuel cell stacks. This "hodge podge" approach to support and access to fuel cell stacks creates a confusing and unnecessarily complex environment in which to operate or test the fuel cells. In addition, such an arrangement wastes what might be valuable space in many applications.
Thus, a need exists for a way to provide efficient support and access to multiple fuel cell stacks.